Still images from a film allow you to fully analyze and appreciate the choices made by the director at any given moment. Within these two very different scenes from L.A. Confidential and Double Indemnity we can pin point very similar goals in cinematography.
Both allow the viewer to derive a relationship between the two characters based on posture and action from them. I chose these images specifically because they include the main character and then a sub-character that holds significance within the story. Now Keyes is obviously not the Femme Fatal because, let’s face it, he just doesn’t look the part. However, both Keyes and Lynn are seen as both a threat and an ally by the audience and protagonist alike. These images lean more towards the friendship or love between those involved rather than the problems they bring to the plot.
The sub-characters are being explained inadvertently through the use of objects set in the background. Keyes is immediately set up as an office man who has a keen eye towards numbers. We first meet him in this scene in his office as shown by the writing on the door and he is dressed for leisure by taking off his suit jacket and smoking a cigar. The chart on the back wall showing the, “life insurance surrender rate at all time low,” explains a pride and appreciation for his own work in the field and that he is indeed very good at his job.
Lynn on the other hand is explained by her setting as a whole. The fact that she took Bud into her own personal bedroom decorated with her childhood effects represents a level of trust and emotion between her and this man that she has not had with any of the other people she has slept with. And, considering her line of work, is probably a lot. The viewer is reminded of how personal and private her room is with the placement of the Arizona pillow in the background. Her deep-rooted love for her home state and floral patterns show that this is not the room meant to impress lovers, but rather to give her a place for comfort and escape.
Even given the time gap between these pieces, the directors still followed very similar artistic guidelines and ideas. Using posture and Mise-en-Scene to not only create a gorgeous image, but also to give as much information to the audience as they would have gotten from watching the entire movie beginning to end. And even a little bit more than what they bargained for.
